There’s a world of creamy, dreamy frostings, but nothing dares to come as close as this recipe for Chocolate Satin Frosting. A whipped, silky base of frosting is infused with melted chocolate and a splash of vanilla, putting other variants of chocolate frosting to shame.
This recipe hails from the 1950s, or more specifically, the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook. This series of cookbooks was periodically republished and revised to reflect some eating habits of the time. While its initial publication in the 1930s was a bit frugal with certain ingredients and got even more strict during the WWII era of war rationing, the 1950s was a different story. The frosting comes from this edition and reflects a more prosperous time, combining several rich ingredients into a single recipe.
What makes this recipe unique is the use of — wait for it — an egg, yes an egg in the frosting. While there are some people who shouldn’t risk consuming eggs, this version tempers the egg by gradually mixing it with the still-warm melted chocolate alongside hot water. These two ingredients allow for the egg to get to a higher temperature and temper it. While the egg can be omitted, it will alter how smooth the end results are.
All of the powdered sugar, chocolate, hot water, and egg are mixed together and then beaten with the butter and vanilla until smooth and lump-free. At this point, the frosting will be kind of runny, so it needs to be put over a bowl of ice and whipped until firmed up into silky stiff peaks.
The result? Utter perfection. The frosting is rich but not overwhelming; it has the quality of a more expensive European buttercream but with a fraction of the ingredients.
Sweetness is tampered by the butter and egg, giving a neutral state for the chocolate to shine.
This is a great frosting to pair with chocolate cake, but it’d also be great for a classic yellow birthday cake. It might be so good that you might find yourself taking a lick or two of the frosting straight from the bowl.
Pair the frosting with 1950s Feathery Fudge Cake.
Chocolate Satin Frosting
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 4 1/2 tablespoons hot water
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Preparation
- In a microwave safe bowl, melt chocolate in 30-second intervals until completely melted.
- Add in powdered sugar and hot water. Beat in egg, butter, and vanilla, mixing until smooth and lump free.
- The frosting will be thin at this point. Get a larger bowl and fill it with ice and a bit of water.
- Put the bowl of frosting into the bowl with the ice and ice water and whip until the consistency thickens. Use it to frost the Feathery Fudge Cake or any cake of your choosing, enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens.